While seeing the struggles of people around me may chip away at my sense of security and tug at my heart, I still often feel strangely insulated from the realities of others. I empathize, yet I’m an outside observer. I think one of humanity’s hallmarks is to wield denial with bravado, as a way to self protect. As in, “It can’t/won’t happen to me”. But, the older I get, the clearer it becomes – no one is immune. At some point or other, something WILL happen – to me, to my beloved, to family, to friends… whomever. Although attempts to reason is almost always part of coming to terms with life-altering events and progressions – other than as a sort of emotional balm, these judgements and post-rationalizations are rather meaningless. Because nobody is immune to Fate’s whims.

This past week, and over the past few months, I’ve seen that Frau Fortuna might have other plans than what I might reasonably have constructed as a logical possibility – based on what I thought I “knew”. Seeing this leaf, helplessly speared on a Hesperaloe shoot, reinforced that sometimes overwhelming sense of capricious futility and randomness of events – Fate’s great equalizer. We are all vulnerable to the whims of the world – anyone and everyone might – and will – fall victim to its twists and turns. Enjoy your loved ones while you can, don’t take what you have for granted, and – above all – don’t judge.

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About annamadeit

I was born and raised in Sweden, By now, I have lived almost as long in the United States. The path I’ve taken has been long and varied, and has given me a philosophical approach to life. I may joke that I’m a sybarite, but the truth is, I find joy and luxury in life’s simple things as well.
My outlook on life has roots in a culture rich in history and tradition, and I care a great deal about environmental stewardship. Aesthetically, while drawn to the visually clean, functional practicality and sustainable solutions that are the hallmarks of modern Scandinavia, I also have a deep appreciation for the raw, the weathered, and the worn - materials that tell a story. To me, contrast, counterpoint, and diversity are what makes life interesting and engaging.
Color has always informed everything I do. I’m a functional tetrachromat, and a hopeless plantoholic. I was originally trained as an architect working mostly on interiors, but soon ventured outside - into garden design. It’s that contrast thing again… An interior adrift from its exterior, is like a yin without a yang. My firm conviction that everything is connected gets me in trouble time and time again. The world is a big place, and full of marvelous distractions, and offers plentiful opportunities for inquiry and exploration.
I started writing to quell my constant queries, explore my discoveries, and nurture my curiosity. The Creative Flux was started in 2010, and became a catch-all for all kinds of intersecting interests. The start of Flutter & Hum at the end of 2013 marks my descent into plant nerd revelry. I occasionally contribute to other blogs, but those two are my main ones. For sure, topics are all over the map, but then again - so am I! Welcome to my blogs!

Yeah – as recent events have shown, it truly is a gamble. When seemingly healthy people around you suddenly get hurt, it shocks you. Like you said – maintaining a positive view without appearing in denial is tricky.

O Fortuna
velut luna
statu variabilis…https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Fortuna
Your thoughts are a good reminder to cherish our loved ones and the beauty around us while we can. Have you received bad news recently?

Yeah, I think it’s wise to always try your best to *see* people around you, without *imagining* one thing or the other about them. It’s hard… I think we all build constructs around each other, consisting of expectations and assumptions. This was graduation week, and we have/had family visiting. I was stunned to see the new frailty in one of my family members. I always saw him as the strong one – which makes the reality all the more shocking. Droves of homeless and poor lining our streets, as well as yesterday’s news about a celebrity suicide only enforces this notion. We are all fragile, and what little support existed in this country is being systematically dismantled. More than ever, we need empathy toward our fellow earthly creatures – man and beast.

Yes, me too, Kris. It seems a constant struggle in the outer circles, and when the issues move closer into the family circle, the vulnerability we all inherently possess becomes that much harder to ignore. Life’s web is full of rips and tears, and when the rip occurs near the inner sanctum, it’s a rather terrifying wake-up call. This week, I’ve seen it in family, and friends – in addition to the constant hum of more distant events. It adds a humbling twist to existence, for sure.

This had the ominous ring of major life changes in store in your future, but I hope it isn’t that. From the sound of some of your answers to others, maybe not. Of course, I’m a pessimist, so I always assume the worst — divorce, death, homelessness.

I like to think that major life changes is in EVERYONE’s future. I try to roll with the punches, and although there are some events looming or even playing out, near me, I guess what I was trying to say with this post is more along the lines of that things WILL happen. But, when I try to predict exactly what that is, I’m almost always wrong. Maybe it’s my lack of observation and deduction skills, but for me, trying to predict and make judgement calls nearly always seem futile. Based on my predictions to date, I feel like I’m swimming with the Red Herrings, if that makes sense. Que sera, sera…

Alison – I couldn’t use the ‘Anonymous’ setting in my attempt to respond to your post, so here is my response instead:
“I think your arrangement is beautiful! My trouble is to remember to pick anything at all – especially on a Monday. I did pick a few things in anticipation of the graduation celebrations, but of course forgot to photograph it before its glory faded… It’s a fun meme, though – one which, although my intentions are good, I struggle to join.”

Well said Anna. Just yesterday I was thinking about three people who’s lives changed in an instant within the last few days, one a “celebrity” and two that are friends. We can take NOTHING for granted. My husband, who is Mr Safety, being hit by a car last fall is the perfect example. Luckily nothing lasting happened to him, but the “could have been” was overwhelming.

And I know one of those is someone we both know… such scary stuff…. And yes, I also thought about Andrew last year. Of course if the stars are aligned in your favor, these kinds of surprises can also be positive, but thankfully those aren’t as difficult to come to terms with.